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Wednesday, December 13, 2006

Art Space Talk: Lorenzo Castello

I recently interviewed artist Lorenzo Castello. Mr. Castello is best known for his strong charcoal drawings (some art critics refer to them as 'charcoal paintings') and his portraiture done in oil (he has painted for royalty.). These works are created with a great knowledge of expressionism and traditional methods of artistic practice.

Mr. Castello has strong technical ability and utilizes his cultural ties with the traditional Italian renaissance. He creates images that capture emotion and space, forms and shapes, lights and shadows. In a sense, he conveys a world of magical realism through his drawings and paintings.

Q. When did you first discover that art would be an important part of your adult life?

A. "I, like many other artist, had the will to draw and paint since I was a child and I had the presumption to think that I could do the same works the greatest masters did. Now I know I was wrong. In order to live I had to choose a different career rather than art and painting was relegated to a role of my hobby foe a long time.

I am painting now since 1992 regularly full time professionally and I discovered that I may consider myself a painter when I realized that what I do and think all the time is art.

If I feel all the time the need to paint well then I am a painter."

Q. How has creating art shaped you professionally and personally?

A. "Well I feel different from most of my other friends and ex collegues in my previous employement (banker). I feel blessed to have that ability,but I am very conscious that I am not any better than others for that and that I have still a lot of things to learn both from art and from life."

Q. How has society influenced your art? Are there any social implications in your art?

A. "Well, yes. When I was employed as a banker I had to stay quiet about my art.

Employers from financial sectors are always suspicious about artist, you know those peaple with head in the clouds, with strange friends, ...drinks..., drugs..., unreliables...

At the beginning my art was oriented more towards subjects that could please the majority of the well-to-do lots. I did many landscapes, flowers, religious subjects, and portraits.

I won a commission for an altarpiece in Genova Italy in 1992 and later a portrait to Sir Eddy George, Governor of The Bank of England. In a way my boss helped me to be accepted as an artist and banker."

Q. What are your artistic influences? Has anyone inspired you?

A. "Caravaggio, Titian, Michelangelo, the french impressionists, Klimt and Schiele."

Q. How long have you been a working artist?

A. "Since 1992 although initially only part time."

Q. On average, how long does it take you create one piece?

A. "Average for a 20"by20" oil... one week."

Q. Do you have any 'studio rituals'? As in, do you listen to certain types of music while working? What helps to get you in the mood for working?

A. "I always listen to music, classic music or country music mostly.I have this urge to paint all the time. I do not need extra help to get in the mood."

Q. If you could pinpoint the characteristics of people who collect your art, what would they be?

A. "Art lovers. My works are never very cheap to buy. They are not expensive either but you need to love my works to part willingly from your money.

In this way I am always sure that my works are well accepted."

Q. Discuss one of your pieces. What were you thinking when you created it?

A. "Well, let us take one of my girls (sample above). One of the many... does not matter which one. They are almost always staring at you in the eyes.

Most are naked and are usually not in a provoking posture.You look at them in the eyes and your mind is captured.They are naked but that does not matter, you enter their mind. Your thoughts are travelling in their thoughts."

Q. What is your artistic process?

A. "First a blank canvas, then a brush and a very liquid oil paint, a life model or less often a vivid memory and here we go."

Q. Why did you choose the medium(s) that you use?

A. "I tried all the others before oil but I prefer oil because I do better works with it than with the others."

2 comments:

Anonymous
said...

being a painter, and collector of sorts, I will tell you I seriously like your work. I see your influences but you have made them your own. This has been a visual treat and my only regret is you were not doing art full time from the beginning of your life. I am not rich but if I were I would buy quite a bit of your work. I am sure you have won numerous awards and justifably so. Thank you.